The queen’s burial will be a private ceremony only attended by members of the royal family.
LONDON, UK — The Queen of England was laid to rest Monday in a funeral service attended by more than a thousands dignitaries, officials and royal family members. Millions watched the hymns and choral performances given at the ceremony.
But the queen’s burial is a private affair, only open to members of the royal family.
After the state funeral, the coffin will be taken to Windsor, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of London.
The queen will be laid to rest in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, within St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where her mother and father were interred and her sister Princess Margaret’s ashes were placed.
Prince Philip’s coffin, which is currently in St. George’s Chapel’s Royal Vault, is expected to be moved to the memorial chapel to join the queen’s.
St. George’s is where many of Britain’s royals were baptized, married and buried throughout history. It has long been the resting place for the royals, and 10 former sovereigns were buried there.
The burial service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, the head of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The queen’s coffin, which has been on display for members of the public for much of the week before her funeral, is constructed out of English oak, lined with lead and was made decades ago, experts say.
Sarah Hayes, manager for the Coffin Works museum in Birmingham, England, says former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the queen’s husband Prince Philip and Princess Diana had such coffins made for them, she said.
“It’s to preserve the body for as long as possible, it’s really about slowing down the process of decomposition,” she said. This is especially important for the queen because her coffin will be eventually placed in a church, not buried in the ground, she added.
The coffin is made of oak from the royal family’s Sandringham Estate according to royal tradition, Hayes said.
The queen’s funeral is a closed-casket service, so it’s unknown what has been selected as her final outfit. But in an interview with Metro, Natural Diamond Council head of communications Lisa Levinson said the queen will be buried with only a few jewels adording her.
While the queen owns an extensive, 300-piece jewelry collection, Levinson said she could be buried with two pieces: her Welsh gold wedding band and a pair of pearl earrings.
It’s unclear where her engagement ring will go, although it could be passed on to Anne, the Princess Royal.